ALL SCI-FI

[Bud Brewster]

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THINGS TO COME- (1936) H. G. Wells' epic book became an equally epic movie, based on a screen play by Wells himself. In fact, H. G. Wells had an amazing amount of control over the production of "Things to Come", a situation due primarily to the fact that producer Alexander Korda wanted Wells to craft the film exactly as he thought best. Wells was frequently present on the sets during filming, actively influencing the look of "Things to Come", right to down to the costumes and set design. He was even allowed to the choose composer Sir Arthur Bliss to handle the musical score.

The direction by William Cameron Menzies ("Invaders from Mars", etc.) remains true to Wells' intention concerning characterization; the characters are presented primarily as symbols of the story's concepts. For this reason the characters seem a bit cold and melodramatic. Raymond Massey -- whose striking and wonderfully inflexible face is perfectedly suited for bigger-than-life characters -- plays two roles, spanning a ninety-six-year slice of mankind's history which begins in 1940 and ends with a fantastic future in 2036.

The story is a skillful blend of two opposing attitudes towards mankind: a dark pessimism that wonders if our own savagery will destroy us, and a bright optimism that insists we are capable of the most exalted achievements imaginable. H. G. Wells was sixty-eight years old when he penned the screenplay for "Things to Come", and it perfectly protrays Wells' dream of a technological utopia.

With Europe poised on the brink of World War II, Wells' message was no mere academic exercise. Adolf Hitler was so impressed by the film's opening scenes of the destruction of "Everytown" that he ordered his generals to view it. Winston Churchill was equally impressed -- especially with the scenes of the giant airships -- and he urged the Air Ministry of England to step up production of heavy bombers.

The public, however, was less enthusiastic. Despite the good reviews which "Things to Come" received, its box office performance was so poor it failed to recover the whopping production costs (almost one and a half million dollars) which producer Alexander Korda invested.

"Things to Come" may fail as mere entertainment, but most viewers agree that it succeeds handsomely as a vehicle for a magnificent message. At its very heart, the message which "Things to Come" attempts to impart is far above the mere technological utopia that mankind has established by the end of the story. Massey delivers the dramatic closing lines, and his words are intended to define the ambitious destiny that H. G. Wells has conceived for mankind:

"For man [there is] no rest and no ending . . . He must go on, conquest after conquest . . . And when he has conquered all the depths of space and all the mysteries of time, still he will be beginning."

"Things to Come" is a highly recommended movie experience -- especially for anyone who has lost their faith in mankind's loftiest ambitions.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bongopete]

I've always thought that TTC was a flawed film, rather stiff all around but with some really interesting visuals.

Some of my favorites are the young child playing with his drum while marching around while silhouettes of actual marching soldiers come up behind him.

The marvelous and timeless scene on Christmas of the family and the children playing, the Grandfather comments on how much toys have changed between when he was a boy and the toys his grandchild is playing with and he wonders how they will change in the future*.

The decaying body on the barbed wire signifying the passage of time. Obviously the WOW flying wings.
*This is really outside the area of this forum...but ARE toys still being made today for kids to actually PLAY with. Or are they all computer games? WAS the nadir of toys perhaps in the 1970s or 1980s?

[Bongopete]

Wait a sec....did I say 'nadir'? oh dear.

[Bud Brewster]

Nadir - The lowest point; time of greatest depression.

I think you meant zenith.

The toy below was once considered The Most Successful Toy of All Time. Click on the link below and watch the commercial. A blast from the past . . .



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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Bongopete]

Thanks Bud, that IS why I commented back and said "Did I say....?"

Though I'm sure my parents thought that the toys I played with were the nadir, given how annoyed they were with all the sounds the toys made.

[Bud Brewster]

One of my fondest memories is of a time when I played with a huge box our new hot water heater came in, back around 1955.

I laid it on it's side, climbed into it, and pretended it was a spaceship. I went to the planet Timbuktu, which is a city in West Africa -- but I was about seven years old, so I didn't know that.

I thought it was the planet next to Timbuk 1.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Eadie]

And don't forget:

Timbuk The most stable star in the Universe. Also the farthest. And the hardest to find.

Planets:

Timbuk I — Nothing but sandy beaches, Palm groves and shallow seas for surfing and swimming.

Timbuk II — Restricted world. LOTS of Krell artifacts, so the rumors say. Open only to members of ]All Sci-Fi.

Timbuk III — Pleasant tropical world where all dinosaurs are found. (Even the meat eaters are friendly.)

Timbuk IV — Mountainous world designed for hiking, skiing and camping.

Timbuk V — (Also known as DisneyWorld) The ultimate in every kind of family entertainment!

Timbuk VI — (Also known as Magarathea) The factory world where other planets are made to order. Currently closed for business.

[orzel-w]

For those of you who are fans of the single-place "Bolide" aircraft flown by Raymond Massey, I've made my drawing of it available here:

http://orzel-w.deviantart.com/art/Bolide-495646233
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...or not...

WayneO
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[Bud Brewster]

Beautiful job, Wayne! Very impressive.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[scotpens]

Excellent job! Does anyone know the source of the name "Bolide" for John Cabal's single-seat airplane? It was never used in the movie.

That little plane may look streamlined and futuristic, but it has a separate wing structure attached to the fuselage by a large central pylon and two outboard struts which would cause significant parasitic drag. By the mid-1930s, the most modern aircraft designs were low-wing cantilever monoplanes.

Have you considered doing ortho views of the giant Wings Over the World flying wing? That would be, like, SO COOL!

Links: https://www.flickr.com/photos/46561909@N00/15723762048/in/photostream/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/46561909@N00/15909273831/in/photostream/

[orzel-w]

[Bud Brewster]

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Wayne, I surprised to hear that the small aircraft appeals to you but the larger one doesn't. I like them both, but that's just the way personal tastes are. It's emotional, not logical.



The first time I saw the amazing (and fake) photos of the aircraft below I thought of the airships in Things to Come for the obvious reasons.


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Scotpens, your comment on drag made me realize that another reason this unusual aircraft looks much better than it would have flown is the drag caused by those vertical surfaces.

Still, It's a beautiful plane. I still don't know anything about the doctored photos and who made them -- but they are gorgeous!




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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Pye-Rate]

It's a Junkers flying battleship design that never got built. Even if the monster could fly, Hitler could not afford to build one.

[Bud Brewster]

Thanks, Pye-rate. She's a beauty. I thought money was no object for Adolf when it came to war machines.
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)

[Eadie]

A picture of the excavation machines.



A picture from a cut scene in the futuristic bedroom.